Collapsible sled



May 16, 1967 F. R. GALLAHER 3,319,972

COLLAPS IBLE SLED Filed Dec. 9, 1964 INVENTOR 24 /6 F. ROfiERT 64444/951? United States Patent C 3,319,972 QGLLAPSIBLE SLED Farrell Robert Gallaher, Long Beach, Calif. (92f) S. Citron, 4, Anaheim, Galif. 92303) Filed Dec. 9, W64, Ser. No. 417,101 12 Claims. (Cl. 280-18) This invention relates to a collapsible sled or toboggan having a cushion loadsupporting section and, in a preferred embodiment, relates to a sub-assembly adapted to utilize a conventional air mattress or foam padding as the cushion load-supporting member.

' There exists a need for a simple collapsible sled or toboggan that can be folded into a minimal space for storage and transportation, yet that can be assembled into a strong structure. For maximum enjoyment, however, such a sled should not sacrifice the handling characteristics of the conventional rigid sleds or toboggans such as smooth running surfaces that have a low coefficient of friction, steering means that are easy to operate, etc.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a collapsibe sled or toboggan.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a collapsible sled or toboggan with a cushion load-supporting section which can be deflated or compressed and folded into a minimal storage space.

It is further an object of this invention to provide a collapsible sled or toboggan sub-assembly which can utilize a conventional air mattress or foam padding as the cushion load-supporting section thereof.

It is also a further object of this invention to provide said collapsible sled or toboggan with a cushion loadsupporting section having a flexible bottom running surface with a low coefficient of friction.

Other and related objects will be apparent from the following description of the invention.

In its simplest embodiment, my invention comprises a collapsible sled or toboggan having a head section formed from a stiff or rigid sheet material with an upwardly curved nose and, attached to the rear of said head section, an inflatable or compressible load-supporting section comprising a substantially flat casing formed of a flexible, gas impermeable material with a bottom surface of a moisture and abrasion resistant plastic. In one of its preferred embodiments, my invention comprises the assembly of a conventional air mattress that is secured to a sub-assembly which comprises a head section of a stiff sheet material with an upwardly curved nose and, attached to the rear thereof, a flexible moisture and abrasion resistant plastic sheet which supports and protects the air mattress. Various preferred features of the aforementioned basic configurations of the invention are also included such as the use of a multi-cellular casing for the in latable section, the use of a flexible plastic or rubber foam pad in place of the air mattress, the use of longitudinal runners on the front section to stabilize the path of the sled, the use of reinforcing ribs in the front section to stiffen the latter and impart strength thereto, etc. The aforementioned features and the basic configurations of the invention will be apparent in the following detailed description of the invention with regard to the figures, of which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates one embodiment of my invention;

FIGURE 2 illustrates one of the preferred sub-assemblies of my invention which is adapted to use a conventional air mattress as the load-supporting section;

FIGURE 3 illustrates the assembly of one of the preferred embodiments of my invention using an air mattress for the load-supporting section; and

FIGURE 4 illustrates another preferred embodiment of my invention using a flexible plastic foam pad as the load-supporting section.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the collapsible sled is shown as comprising a head section 1 which is aifixed to an inflatable load-supporting section 2. The head section is formed of a stiff sheet material such as plywood; rcinforced plastics such as fiber glass; hard rubber; polyolefins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, phenol-formaldehyde, etc.; metals such as steel, aluminum, magnesium, etc. The front portion of the head section has a conventionally shaped toboggan nose 3 that curves upwardly to form the lower surface thereof into a smooth convex shape. The stiff head section provides the desired handling characteristics to the sled since it compacts the snow or ice and guides the trailing load section over the uneven terrain. Preferably, the rear portion of the sled is extended as a substantially flat surface for a distance of 6 inches to about 36 inches or more to impart a rigidity to the front of the sled and prevent the nose 3 from rolling over onto the top of the sled.

The inflatable loadsu pporting section comprises a generally flat casing .2 of a flexible and gas impermeable material such as flexible plastics, e.g., rubber, polyoleflns, polyvinyl chloride, synthetic rubbers, and the like. An air valve 4 is provided to permit the inflation and deflation of casing'2. The lower surface 5 of casing 2 comprises a flexible plastic material that is of a sufficient toughness and thickness to resist the normal abrasion and Wear expected in the use of the sled. Any of the aforementioned plastic materials can be used for this purpose, although a sheet of flexible rubber having an approximate thickness of about 100 mils (thousandths of an inch) is preferred. Typically, the thickness of this sheet will be from about 4 to about 590 mils. The use of the aforementioned plastic sheet materials for this surface also assures that the sled will present a minimum frictional contact with the snow or ice since the aforementioned plastic materials are water resistant. If desired, the coeflicient of friction between the surface of the sheet material and the snow can be reduced by the application of various coatings such as the silicon resins or halogenated hydrocarbon resins such as Teflon, etc., to the sheet.

The flexible casing 2 can be subdivided into a multicellular casing in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1 by providing longitudinal scams 6 at spaced intervals across the body of the casing. This construction provides a rigidity to the sled that facilitates its handling and carrying While in an inflated condition. If desired, the seams can be provided transversely to the casing, however, the longitudinal seams are preferred. The construction and design of such multi-cellular casings is well established in the art of air mattresses and the techniques in this art can be used to form the multi-cellular casings for use in my sleds; e.g., see U.S. Patent 2,748,401.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a preferred sub-assembly of my invention. This embodiment is provided with means to utilize a conventional air mattress as the flexible casing section or, alternately, a plastic foam padding. As shown, the sub-assembly comprises a head section with nose 13 similar to that described in regard to FIGURE 1. A tow rope 14 can be attached thereto in the conventional manner if desired. Attached to the upper surface of the rear portion of the head section 10 is a flexible sheet 11. This sheet has a width substantially equal to the Width of the head section and can be attached to the head section by any desired means, e.g., rivets 15 or other fasteners or by a cement, adhesive, or glue. To impart strength to the joint, the outer edges of the sheet material can be folded over as shown at 16. The flexible sheet can be any of the aforementioned materials that have sufficient toughness and thickness to resist the scutfs and abrasion encountered during use, thereby protecting the inflatable casing or foam pad. Although the sub-assembly is shown in an unfolded position, it is apparent that the sled can readily be rolled tightly into a very compact package which can be stored and handled without the difficulties experienced with conventional sleds or toboggans. This ability to be rolled or folded into a tight compact storage unit is a feature of every embodiment of my invention.

Means are provided on the sub-assembly to secure a conventional air mattress or foam cushion onto the upper surface of flexible sheet 11. These means comprise fasteners along the edges of the sheet which can be grommets or eyelets 12, ties 13, hook or snap fasteners 14 or any other conventional fastening means. Ties can also be provided on the rear portion of the head section such as 17. It is of course apparent that the various fastening means are shown for illustrating purposes only and in the sled, only a single type of fastener would be used, e.g., the ties 13. Furthermore, the load-supporting cushion or mattress can be cemented or glued to sheet 11 thus making a unitary collapsible structure which can be compactly rolled or folded for storage. To provide a gripping surface for the riders on the sled, cords such as 18 can be extended from the upper, forward portion of nose 13 to the lower, rear portion of head section 10. This cord 18 also aids in steering of the sled, although most steering can simply be achieved by shifting of the weight on the sled. A cord 19 can also be passed along each longitudinal edge of sheet 1'1 toaid in securing the mattress or to furnish a gripping surface along the length of the sled.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the sled assembly of my invention that has a conventional air mattress secured thereto in an inflated condition. As shown, an air mattress 20 is secured to the upper surface of sheet 11 by ties 13 which engage grommets in air mattress 20 and similar grommets .12 in the sheet 11. In assembling the sled, the sheet 11 is unrolled as shown in FIGURE 2 and the air mattress 20, preferably in a deflated condition, is laid on top of the sheet 11 and tied thereto by ties 13. The mattress is then inflated through the air valve 22. The conventional multi-cellular construction of the air mattress with its longitudinal seams 21 provides a strength and rigidity to the sled which improves its handling characteristics. As thus described, it is apparent that my sled achieves a very substantial reduction in the bulkiness and cumbersomeness of conventional sleds and toboggans. The preferred embodiment not only can be collapsed and rolled into a small space, but it uses an air mattress as the inflatable casing. Since air mattresses are usually present in'the camping gear of outings, the necessity for duplicate inflatable casings is thereby avoided.

The preferred modifications in the head section can also be seen in FIGURE 3. These modifications include the longitudinal stiffening members such as ribs 23 which strengthen the head section 10. These ribs can be steel springs that are molded into the head section or fastened thereto, or, in the preferred construction, the ribs are provided by continuous longitudinal creases or corrugations in the sheet material. To improve the handling characteristics of the sled, one or more longitudinal runners 24 can be provided on the lower surface of the head section. If desired, the trailing edge of the head section can be chamfered or tapered to provide a smooth transition between the lower surface of the head section and the lower surface of sheet 11, and this construction is illustrated in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a further preferred embodiment of my invention wherein a flexible plastic foam cushion is secured to the sled sub-assembly of my invention. The sled assembly comprises head section 30 with a flexible sheet 32 attached thereto at the rear portion 34 of head section 30 by adhesive means such as cements, glues, and the like. Note that head section 39 is somewhat bucket shaped and is formed from a single shaped piece of sheet material, usually a rigid plastic. Handles may also be shaped into the top portion of head section 30 if desired. Sheet 32 has the same characteristics substantially as sheet 11 of FIGURES 2 and 3 and will usually be about 1224 inches wide and about 36 to 72 inches long. Attached by gluing or cementing to the top surface of sheet 32 is flexible plastic foam pad 36. Foam pad 36 is usually comprised of a collapsible cushion foam such as flexible polyurethane foam or the like. A typical thickness for foam pad 35 is about 1 inch to about 4 inches. A waterproof or water-repellant covering of plastic, cloth, and the like is often used to prevent foam pad 36 from becoming water soaked, this covering surrounding foam pad 36 in the conventional manner with an air escape for collapsing foam pad 36.

As thus described, my invention comprises a collapsible sled having a conventionally shaped head section with an inflatable or plastic foam cushion load supporting section formed from a flexible casing that has a bottom surface which is resistant to the normal scutfs and abrasions and which provides a smooth running surface with a very low coefficient of friction. In a preferred embodiment, the sled has means to utilize a conventional air mattress or plastic foam cushion as the load supporting inflatable section.

It is apparent that various modifications of my invention can be made without departing from the scope thereof, e.g., in FIGURES 2 and 3 flexible sheet 11 can be detachably aflixed to head section 10 so that sheet 11 can be replaced when worn. In this embodiment, a throw away sheet can be obtained at most building supply stores, e.g., polyethylene film having a thickness of from about 4 to 10 mils or more. This sheet can be cut to size and clamped to the upper surface of the rear portion of the head section with conventional means and, when worn, can be replaced with another inexpensive sheet. It is of course apparent that other changes in the invention such as substitution of materials having familiar properties to those described can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Various other changes and modifications are apparent from the description of this invention and further modifications and changes are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A collapsible sled comprising a head section of a stifl' sheet material with an upwardly curved nose and a substantially flat bed extending longitudinally for a portion of the length of said sled, and an inflatable load-supporting section comprising a substantially fiat casing formed of a flexible, gas-impermeable material having a bottom surface of a moisture and abrasion resistant material, said load-supporting section being attached to said head section and extending rearwardly from said flat bed.

2. The sled of claim 1 wherein said front section has at least one longitudinal runner extending along its outer surface.

3. The sled of claim 1 wherein said inflatable casing is multicellular.

4. A collapsible sled comprising:

a head section of a stiff sheet material with an upwardly curved nose and a rear portion comprising a substantially flat bed extending longitudinally for a portion of the length of said sled a flexible moisture and abrasion resistant sheet having about the same width as said rear portion and attached to and extending rearwardly from said rear portion.

5. The sled of claim 4 wherein said head section has at least one longitudinal runner extending along its outer surface.

6. The sled of claim 4 including a substantially flat collapsible cushion formed of a flexible material, said cushion being adapted to be positioned on the upper surface of said sheet.

7. The sled of claim 6 wherein said collapsible cushion is a multicellular inflatable casing.

8. The sled of claim 4 including means to secure said 12. The sled of claim 4 wherein said flexible sheet is cushion on the upper surface of said sheet. detachably afi'lxed to said head section.

9. The sled of claim 4 wherein said rear portion of said head section extends rearwardly of and beneath the lead- References Cited y the Examine! ing edge of said flexible sheet. 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 10. The sled of claim 4 wherein said head section has at least one longitudinal rib to strengthen said head secgg g m "Y tion and wherein a pan of runners is mounted on the bot- 140,878 7/1964 Davis tom edges of said head section.

11. The sled of claim 4 wherein said plurality of fasten- 10 BENJAMIN HERSH Primary Examiner ing means comprises eyelet securing means adapted to be fastened to eyelets disposed along the longitudinal edges SALES, MORRIS, Assistant Examiner-Y- of said collapsible cushion. 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE SLED COMPRISING A HEAD SECTION OF A STIFF SHEET MATERIAL WITH AN UPWARDLY CURVED NOSE AND A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT BED EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY FOR A PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID SLED, AND AN INFLATABLE LOAD-SUPPORTING SECTION COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT CASING FORMED OF A FLEXIBLE, GAS-IMPERMEABLE MATERIAL HAVING A BOTTOM SURFACE OF A MOISTURE AND ABRASION RESISTANT MATERIAL, SAID LOAD-SUPPORTING SECTION BEING ATTACHED TO SAID HEAD SECTION AND EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM SAID FLAT BED. 